Farmer turns canola into homegrown fuel

Chuck Clapper is testing canola's range of adaptability by experimenting with both irrigated and non-irrigated plantings on his farm south of Stratton.

By Candace KrebsContributing Writer

STRATTON, Colo. — Chuck Clapper is testing canola's range of adaptability by experimenting with both irrigated and non-irrigated plantings on his farm south of Stratton.

"The first year was a disaster, but last year we had a very good crop," Clapper said recently.

Winter canola has already become one of the most popular rotational crops in southern Kansas and Oklahoma, where about 300,000 acres were planted last fall. Interest further north and west has been limited, however, due to canola's susceptibility to spring freezes and to potential winterkill from long, cold winters. Clapper is among the first to push against those geographic boundaries.

Ron Meyer, area extension agronomist with Colorado State University in Burlington, said the higher elevation and shorter growing season are a threat to the plant's winter survivability. "We've found in our field trials that early September planting was just too late," Meyer said.Still, Clapper's success last year was encouraging. He was able to harvest 70 bushels to the acre even after experiencing some seed shattering at harvest.

Canola has similar input costs to wheat, and prices have been running in the neighborhood of $12 to $13 a bushel. Brian Caldbeck, a crop consultant from Philpot, Ky., who has done a lot of work with canola, says yields as high as 125 bushels per acre have been achieved on irrigated canola grown in New Mexico. That's not a realistic target in many cases, but he is still convinced canola has great potential in northeast Colorado and northwest Kansas.

Winter-planted canola is a better choice than spring canola, which is commonly grown on the far Northern Plains. The yield potential is typically 20 to 30 percent higher. "We have seen farmers growing winter canola all the way up to the Canadian border," Caldbeck said.Continual work to improve cold tolerant varieties is also helping to extend canola's growing range, he added.

Joni Wilson, a merchandiser with ADM, also sees potential and said many area farmers are eager to give it a try. ADM's Goodland, Kan., oilseed-crushing plant, where Wilson is based, provides a nearby market.

"We've been crushing canola for two years now," she said. "The production keeps increasing every year. There's a lot of potential. We have several different production contracts available."

In many counties, canola growers can secure federal crop insurance coverage through NAP, the Noninsured Assistance Program, or by using a written agreement, based on an established wheat production history.

Becoming energy independent

Beyond crop diversification, Clapper had another reason to grow canola: he wanted to make his own fuel on-farm. He is now running his tractors on biodiesel extracted from the tiny black canola seeds. He has the capability of producing 120 gallons of biodiesel a day.

He got the idea when he was looking for a new use for an old feedmill on his farm.

"I wanted something newer and more innovative," he said.

He was able to retrofit his facilities and install a press and filtering system after receiving a grant from the Denver-based International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology, or iCast, along with support from several other conservation-related agencies.

In addition to fuel, he is also making raw canola oil that his family uses for cooking and a high-protein meal that provides excellent cattle feed. He has hosted hundreds of farmers and energy enthusiasts at his farm to show off how his vertically integrated system works.

He said he's had good results with his biodiesel, which is very clean burning. "You'll go through some filters when you start using it," he said.

Clapper acknowledged the path to growing the oilseed crop in northeastern Colorado has a steep learning curve but he expects more farmers in the area to follow suit.